Don’t Miss Out

You’re all set!

Look out for our weekly updates soon.

Connect with us

Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.

Sign up now for the latest news, top picks for your kids, and helpful tips.

Share this Review

What parents need to know

Positive messages

The series looks at the various joys and challenges of people who have left the Amish community demonstrating how difficult their choices are and shining a light on some of the appeal of mainstream life. There is an element of voyeurism involved at watching this unique community struggle with their difficult choices.

Positive role models

Mose Gingerich acts as a mentor to folks who have left the Amish community and to those considering entering into it.

Violence

The slaughtering and butchering of farm animals is occasionally visible. One ex-Amish man is training with mixed martial artist.

Sex

Not applicable

Language

Occasionally words like "hell," "damn," and "ass" are audible; "s--t" is bleeped.

Consumerism

References are occasionally made to Camaros and other cars

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Beer drinking is visible at bars and ex-Amish parties. Some cigarette smoking.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Amish: Out of Order is a documentary series featuring ex-Amish members as they assimilate into a mainstream lifestyle, which sometimes includes drinking, swearing, and other iffy behavior. It features some occasional salty vocab ("hell," "ass"; curses like "s--t" are rare and bleeped). Some episodes contain violent elements like slaughtering farm animals for food, mixed martial arts cage fighting, and car accidents. The ex-Amish, some who are teenagers, occasionally drink beer or smoke cigarettes.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's the story?

AMISH OUT OF ORDER is a documentary series that follows individual ex-Amish members who have chosen to leave their communities and transition into the mainstream world. It features Mose Gingerich, an ex-Amish man known for mentoring ex-Amish community members of all ages who are now adopting an \"English\" way of life. While they enjoy much of what their new lives have to offer, like getting a driver's license and participating in activities like mixed martial arts cage fighting, they also struggle to build lives for themselves without an extensive education, a credit history, or their families for support. While they figure out their place in a new world, non-Amish folks also turn to Gingerich to learn more about their former way of life.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

The series offers a sensitive look at the journeys of people who have chosen to leave their Amish communities for a life that they believe is better suited for them. While these folks don't openly disparage the Amish way of life, they reveal some of their feelings about needing to separate themselves from a community that they characterize as being loving, but overly-strict and narrow-minded.

It's both interesting and voyeuristic, but it offers some interesting insight into the unique challenges the ex-Amish face every day. It is also a show that helps the viewer understand a little bit more about the inner-conflict they experience when they leave everything they know in order to be part of the larger, secular world.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about the history of the Amish in the United States. Why are they called Pennsylvania Dutch? Why do they choose to live without modern conveniences like cars or electricity? What is the meaning behind the clothes they wear?

How does the media portray the Amish? What are some of the stereotypes that exist about Amish people? Why are people so fascinated by the Amish culture?

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.Read more

About Our Rating System

The age displayed for each title is the minimum one for which it's developmentally appropriate. We recently updated all of our reviews to show only this age, rather than the multi-color "slider." Get more information about our ratings.

What parents and kids say

Real people, real stories told from the heart

I think it addresses real world issues and the struggles of faith vs the world. These folks deal with family issues, background differences and more. It is an inspiring series. It did a full review on my website, because I enjoy the series so much. I think it can provide some good life lessons and discussions.

Get top media picks for your kid's age

Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.

Our Policies

Download our free app

Common Sense is the nation’s leading independent non-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology. Families, educators, and policymakers turn to
Common Sense for unbiased information and trusted advice to help them learn how to harness the positive power of media and technology for all kids.

Common Sense, Common Sense Media, Common Sense Education and Common Sense Kids Action, associated names, associated trademarks, and logos, are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. (FEIN 41-2024986)